Gilded Cages
by LiangLan
Summary: Once upon a time, in the town Sunnydale, there lived a dark haired knight with a heart of gold. He swore to help the Slayer fight evil. He had a lot to learn about evil. If he's going to survive he'll have to learn to fight fire with fire.
1. Prologue: Gild The Lily

"_To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow, or with taper-light to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excess._"

~Shakespeare: King John iv.2

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><p>This is not a love story. It is, however, a story about love. There is a difference, mind you. Sure, the characters fall in and out of love, but that's not why I'm telling it to you. This is a story about cages. My poor boys have locked themselves in so many cages across the different possible worlds over the years, but luckily, at least this time I think they have an actual chance of breaking free. The Powers That Muck Up have finally realized that their 'guidance' never really works out and that my, lets say expertise, on matters of the heart and soul might be more helpful then their methods of shoving moral sticks up their chosen ones' asses.<p>

I have to admit, I was a little surprised when Whistler came and asked for help. I could tell it irked him. Not comfortable with taking risks, that one. And that's what the whole thing is, a big risk. At first I thought he wanted me to help the Slayer. I would've flat out refused. Destiny's got her chains wrapped around her _good_, doesn't matter which world or what time you're in. I was surprised though when the Balancer asked me to keep an eye out for the boys. In a way though, I'm glad. Its about time someone recognized their worth as more then the sidekicks, more than the Slayer's tools and toys. They're lucky in a way that the Powers don't put much consideration on their roles, otherwise Destiny would've wrapped around them just as much as the Slayer. I wouldn't have been able to help without some serious egg-breaking then to make barely passable omelets if the Powers actually paid attention.

Whistler's the only one who's got any sense up there, probably because he's a demon too. I don't care what anyone says, we demons have got more grasp on humanity than the Great Moral Pricks in togas. Yeah, we demons probably don't have all the best intentions but then again, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The Powers and their little Goody-Good Followers just can't grasp what motivates humans and Tainted Demons. What makes them tick, what makes them do what they do, and what makes them _feel_; they just don't get it. They're just concerned with Point A to Point B and not how or why between them. That's why the Slayers always get so screwed over and don't even get started on their poor Champions.

Anyways, Whistler's the one with some sense. After my fiasco with my last Host I admit I'd been in a rut. The whole thing had left me rather unsettled. I couldn't help but check up on the boys at least once. Their road was bumpy but they seemed to be going right along. But then that whole the First thing happened and up went poor Will in flames and Xander, try as he might, never got over it and drowned in the bottle. Pissed me off, I gave up a really good gig so they could have a happily ever after and the Powers just went and carelessly thrown it all away. I'm glad I wasn't the only one pissed.

So Whistler comes to me and offers me a little job. He asks that I keep an eye on the boys and help them break free of the cages they've gone and locked themselves in so Destiny doesn't go an screw them over, at least not as bad. I had my work cut out for me. They were particularly stubborn in this universe. The Powers wanted me to go by their rules and their means. Fuck that. I've seen where that gets them. I don't care what fuss they put up or if Whistler comes to regret asking for my help. This time things are going to be different. I'm going to help them get free.

So without further ado, here is the story. It is about a boy, a hyena, a vampire, some wolves, an emotive, witches, a Slayer, and a partridge in a pear tree. Well, maybe not the last one. Oh, but there will be a swan, not till later though.

Ok, now stop me if you've heard this one. Once upon a time, in a town called Sunnydale, there lived a dark haired knight with a heart of gold. One day a blond girl blew into his life and he vowed to help her protect the world from those big mean baddies who go bump in the dark. But he had a lot to learn about fighting evil. Sometimes, it not the scary monsters who you need to worry about. Most of the time, true evil dwells inside and locks us up in gilded cages of moral superiority.

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><p>Xander missed Oz. Sure, as he held a weepy Willow, he felt righteous anger for his oldest friend, but eventually his anger melted into a not too unfamiliar sense of loneliness.<p>

There was no question that he loved Willow and Buffy, but their extra x-chromosome made their company not always what he needed. He still missed Jesse desperately. While Xander knew the void left by Jesse could never be filled completely, Oz's zen presence eased his ache.

It was during that tough summer when Buffy had disappeared off to L.A. that the two of them got close. When they weren't patrolling, or doing their less ass-kicking version of it, and Oz and Willow weren't being Oz and Willowy (Xander tried not to think too hard about that) he would hang out with the Oz-man.

These were blissful afternoons spent in the sanctum of guy-dom. Xander would bring movies and babble about them, munching on various forms of junk foods, and Oz would smile and nod here and there, sometimes playing his guitar. They would laugh as Xander tried his hand at guitar, clumsily trying to follow Oz's instructions.

And when the Blond Bombshell returned and the Scoobies entered their last year of high school, Oz helped anchor Xander. During all drama, demons, or apocalypses, the older boy's calm demeanor prevented Xander from being lost adrift the sea of estrogen.

There was also the whole werewolf thing too. A Zeppo made a great wolf-sitter, apparently, when girls with super brains and super strength were out doing the actual work. Xander really didn't like seeing Oz all caged up. He hated cages. Watching the restless beast prowl helplessly made something that wasn't supposed to be within himself stir, but Xander knew he had to be there for his friend during his hairy time of the month.

There was an easy camaraderie between them, Xander felt, even after what happened with Veruca and a heartbroken Willow, he still felt the connection and yearned for his friend. When a teary Willow told him and Buffy that Oz's place was empty, that he was really gone, and Buffy took up the role of the angry best friend, Xander went quiet. He was quiet all the way home that night. He drifted into the Basement of Doom and stood before the small cabinet that house his movies sadly. He had reached in and pulled out a movie, not knowing exactly why, but smiled a little when he gazed at the cover. It was his copy of An American Werewolf in London. He remembered that night a few months ago they had watched the movie, uneasily laughing. When he bent back down to put the movie away, he noticed a small piece of paper taped to the back of it. He turned it over and stared at it for awhile as the words in Oz's handwriting sank in: 'cages can't hold forever. Got to find a better way to keep a hold of the beast -Oz'.

He never told the girls about the note. He left it taped to the movie cover and carefully put it back into it's place. 'Cages can't hold forever', the words haunted him. He understood why Oz had to go. Xander understood how terrifying it could be to not be in control, to be caged in your own body, your own mind. He understood why Oz couldn't risk staying, but gods it still hurt to be left behind.

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><p><strong>ANs:<strong>

**So here it is, the beginning of another story! Just so you guys know, this story will feature a few OCs and focus on them just as much as the original BtVS characters, so if that's not your cup of tea I'm warning you now. Its going to be long too. Its rather all over the place too but I'm going to try my best to make a comprehensive whole out of all the odd bits. I may end up re-writing it all. I guess this is more like a test run for the plot. I know you guys hear this a lot but please, I would love feedback! I want to improve my writing style so recommendations are very welcome. Please enjoy the show!**


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion

I watch her materialize under the street lamp at the mouth of the alley. She looks great. Wonderful, even, looks like the afterlife has been treating her well. Makes me almost wonder why she's even here and what Whistler must've said to her to get her help. But, then again, this is Rose I'm talking about. She really did feel for the boys and it was just in her kind nature to want to help.

Her hair is the same medium length but not blowing in the persistent wind of Seattle's winter night. She's wearing that white summer dress with red roses and vines along the skirt that she loved so much, the same dress she was buried in. It suits her well though.

She spies me deep in the alley and begins to make her way over. Her pretty white sandaled feet don't sink into the snow that has been whipped into this dark corner of the city. When she comes up to my side, she tilts her head and looks around the warehouses, "So, this is where they're hiding?"

I shake my head, "No, they're off away down that way," I nod my head over my shoulder, "underground, like rats."

She glances at me and nods, making a 'lead the way' gesture. We begin to walk deeper into the alley.

After a few long and silent moments, I can't help but start, "So, you're lookin' good darling. How's the afterlife been? They, uh, let you through the Pearly Gates?"

She laughs and shakes her head, "Ah, not exactly, but close enough for me."

"Really? Why not?"

She gives me an incredulous look, "Well, I did offer my soul to a demon," she gives me a look.

"Yeah, well, you only did it to save those little friends of yours and our boys..."

She shrugs, "Yeah, but like I said, it works for me," she smiles softly, "I'm with my brother."

I smile back, "Sounds like a dream, darling."

"What about yourself?"

"Me? Eh, had better days. Tried finding a decent host or two, but I tell you they just don't make girls like the used to," I let out a sigh.

"Oh? Business slow?"

"Not exactly. Can you believe the girl after you actually -summoned- me? Thought I'd make her some sort of pop star!" I can't help a snort at that. Please.

She gives me a little shocked look, "That's a little shallow."

"Yeah, wasn't even worth it. Just completely lost herself nearly instantly. Haven't had a worthy Host since you."

She gives another laugh, "I'm not sure if that should be a compliment. Is that why you're doing all this?" she gestures with her hand to the dark alleys around us.

"Part of the reason. That, and I think what that little red-headed witch did to us did something to me," I pretend to make a disgusted face, "I find myself actually caring a little about that happens to the boys!"

She grins "Me too, look," she places her hand on her chest and I peer at the design she's pointing at, "the seal is even still here. That Whistler guy said it helps allow me to travel to this universe."

I tilt my head curiously, "Hum, that makes some kinda sense I guess."

By now we arrive at out destination. We pause and look at the dark, seemingly abandoned building for a long moment. "So," she says quietly, "this is where the roaches are nesting?"

I nod, understanding the venom in her voice. I don't have the greatest memories about these guys either. Of all the stupid things human have done over the millennia, they had to go and do foolish things like this. Humans used to have a proper and healthy fearful respect for demons and elder things, but they've gotten all uppity over the past few centuries. Think they're the top of the food chain and all.

"You ready for this?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm dead," she chuckles, "what more could they do to me?"

There is that, granted. "Ok then, just follow my lead. Keep in mind though," I meet her gaze, "this ain't the two-bit op like in Sunnydale. This is the main facility for the West Coast."

She nods and I see her expression that says she's ready for it. So in we go. Being incorporeal can be handy and get us through most of the security, but not all of it.

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><p>I've seen some pretty nasty shit over my long years, but even the stuff we pass makes me cringe some. Rose is a little jumpy by the time we reach as far as we can go.<p>

We're at the end of a long white corridor where there is only one guard. He looks bored. "Right, this is the tough part, darling. In order to get the cage open we're gonna need to get this tin soldier to let us through the next few check points and take his key card. You up for it?"

She gives me a definitive nod. We reach out to each other and I place a hand on the seal on her chest and she places her hand on mine. I feel a brief moment of vertigo as we kinda melt into each other. It's pretty trippy.

The guard starts a little, reaching for his side arm. I/we smile at him but its pretty obvious he can't quite see us/me/her but he's pretty wigged out. "Hey there sweet thing, give us a kiss?" I/we grin at the terror that crosses over his face.

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><p>Iwe time is perfectly so we/me/her don't run into any other guards. I/we make our way through several more corridors before reaching our goal. There you are my poor sweet pup. The, big, black wolf prowls restlessly in her glass cage, growling and twitching and snapping. "Don't worry, darling, we're here to set you free," I/we say as we swipe the stolen keycard and step aside as she leaps out.

As the alarms sound off and soldiers and doctors pour into the corridors, I/we hang back and watch the bloody mayhem. I/we follow the big bad wolf as she rips apart her captors. I/we swipe the keycard when necessary. I/we aren't needed for much else, until I/we pass a room full of computers. I/we look over the terminals and say thoughtfully, "This looks important," and promptly smash various spots until the monitors supply me/us the images of all the cages opening and their occupants joining in the fun.

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><p>"I'm glad I don't have to eat," Rose said once we separated again, "that was seriously trippy!"<p>

I laugh, "Yeah, felt a little dizzy myself for a moment, but it gets the job done."

"And just what job, by the way? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind flushing out the vermin," she gestures to the now very gory labyrinth that had been this branch of the Initiative, "but why'd you go right for that big wolf?"

I feel my wicked grin spread, "You'll see! That girl's gonna help bring down the cages!"

She smirks (ha, a trick she learned from my Will!) "Oh that was revealing!"

I sling an arm around her shoulder, "Don't worry darling, just trust me. This is gonna be quite the show!"

She gives me another look, "And what do the Powers think of your idea of a show?"

I blink at her. She blinks back. Her lips twitch and I snort and then we're both laughing like maniacs. The Kleptsh demon still lingering down in the Pit looks up at us before running off. Skittish little things, probably because they can actually see us.

"Fuck the Powers," I finally manage once we finish our laughing fit.

She chuckles again, "You sound like a hippy or something, fight the power!"

"Hey, at least they know how to party. It was funny scaring the shit out of them when they were high though."

She shakes her head, but is still smiling. "So, as much as I've liked catching up, is there anything else you need help with?"

I consider for a moment, but shake my head. "No, I just gotta shepherd home the big bad wolf and start the ball rolling with that," I give her a considering glance, "what about you? What next?"

She swings her legs a little and hops down from the ledge we were occupying, "I dunno, maybe I should stick around for a little while? Maybe check in on Xan and Spike..."

"Oh, Rose, darling you are something else. You could easily go back to a nice little afterlife gig and you'd rather go stalk your ex from another dimension and the vamp he dumped you for?"

She grins, "Hey, what can I say?" her face falls a little, "I wasn't very happy when Whistler told me how they got screwed. It was wrong and they deserve better," she finished quietly.

I jump off the ledge too and shake my head, "softy," I tease.

The smile returns, "Oh? And what does that make you?"

"Probably senile," I offer and inspect my nails nonchalantly.

She giggles, "Defiantly. Well, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around, babysitting and all." She gives me a little wave and disappears.

"Seeya!" Now, where did the wolf-girl run off too?


	3. Chapter 2: So, What Now?

The glass fell from his hands and shattered on the floor. His eyes went wide and dark and his hands started to shake. The tall, black guy sitting at the small kitchen table raised an eyebrow, and leaned over. When the other boy started to collapse, he shot over to him, catching him easily. "Hey, Nate! You there?"

After a few moments, Nathan came around, still shaking. He rasped slightly, "It was her again, Darius."

Darius nodded and helped the shorter boy up and over into a chair. He refilled another glass of water while Nathan tried to regain composure. He nodded his blond head in thanks and drained the cup.

"So," Darius slid back into his chair across from Nathan, "Any clues as to who she is, where she is?"

_A few nights ago..._

_It was one of those strange, early Spring nights, when it wasn't cold or warm. The wind was whipping though the trees just outside the house, causing the walls to creak. The air tasted of rain. Nathan had collapsed onto his small bed, dead tired from the day. Almost immediately, his dreams assaulted his mind. _

_Blinding, painful brightness. The endless drone of vents, electrical, mechanical things. Stale air. Caged. Trapped. Out, out, OUT! Rage so potent it could be tasted. Fear. Exposure. _

_Vaguely he could feel his body writhing, but tried to focus. Slowly, through the blinding whiteness, he saw a shape, then a figure, come into focus. A girl, curled up on herself, shaking, naked. Her dark hair wild, clinging to her shivering body. _

_He woke in Darius's strong arms, barely able to breath._

Nathan closed his eyes and immediately flinched. "There was a lot of blood. Blood on her, but not her own. The whiteness was smeared with it, and there was grim satisfaction," he took a deep breath, "I think she escaped from where she was being held. And I think she's on her way here, though I don't think she knows it."

Darius was nodding solemnly. His dark, handsome features creased with thought, "Friend or foe?"

Nathan fiddled with his empty glass, unsure of how to verbalize the feelings that had torn through him. "She could be either. I think that she was changed in that place and she'll be rather feral." He shrugged, the best he could do.

Darius nodded again, and glanced at his watch, "'ey, Nate, I 'ave to get goin' to work. Do you think you'll be alright?"

Nate shrugged and responded quietly, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Tired is all."

Later, just before dawn, Darius returned. He silently stalked across the house, making his way quietly across to Nathan's room. He creaked the door open and looked over to the younger boy's bed. A small smile played across the dark features of his face. Darius looked to be no older than late 20s, but ingrained in the planes of his face were the worries of an older person. The smile, though, lit up his dark brown eyes.

Nathan was asleep, deep asleep. Darius knew he'd be exhausted after the vision. It was rare for the younger boy, who looked about 18, to have a vision when he was awake. It would cause his body to lock up and then tremble uncontrollably, sometimes looking like he was seizing. Poor lad. He silently crossed the small room and gently ran this fingers through the young man's slightly long hair. Nathan stirred a little. Darius smiled and gently caressed Nate's cheek, a small smile spread across the boy's sensitive mouth. Satisfied that the boy was fine, he quietly left the room.

Out in the kitchen again, he pulled open the fridge's door. He inspected the contents, frowning slightly as he pulled out a packet of red liquid. He poured the contents into a coffee mug and stuck the mug into the microwave.

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><p>~~~ One Month Later ~~~<p>

"So, Nathan, what'dja t'ink of the movie?" Darius asked over his shoulder as he locked up the doors to the movie theater.

Nathan shrugged, smiling slightly, "I liked it. Kubric really knows how to make a movie."

Darius nodded, "Yea, Dr. Strangelove is an old classic."

Nathan nodded, "Thanks for putting it on for me," he said quietly to the older guy. Darius only flashed a brilliant white smile and put a reassuring hand on the other's shoulder.

"No problem, Nate. 'S one of the benefits of ownin' your own movie theater!" They both began to walk towards Darius's old Jeep Wrangler parked in the alley beside the theater. Before they rounded the corner, though, Darius stiffened, held onto Nathan. He made a 'wait here' gesture to the blond boy, who nodded.

Darius slid silently around the corner of the alley. It was still very dark outside, the alley was cast in shadow, but he could see perfectly. He saw a figure curled up at the far end of the alley, where the movie theater met with the back wall of the alley. He approached silently, slowly, but stopped when he heard the figure begin to growl. "Do ya need any help t'ere?" he asked softly. The figure uncurled itself, it was a girl, dressed in rags. Her long dark hair was covering her face, but the growl was distinct as she moved into a crouch. "Are ya..." Darius didn't have time to finish his sentence, as the girl launched herself at him with a snarl.

Darius could easily doge the attack, but didn't want the girl to get out of the alley to Nathan, so he braced himself. As she flew into him, Darius let them tumbled to the hard alley floor, but before she could scramble up once again, Darius had her by the neck. He fluidly shot to his feet and threw her against the theater's outer wall, letting off a snarl of his own. He held her several inches off the ground, and she was clawing wildly at his arm. As the black claws dug into his wrist and forearms, he simply tightened his grip and felt his face slip into vampiric features. She simply glared defiantly into his demonic eyes. "Darius! Its her!" Darius glanced over as Nathan jogged closer to him. He returned his gaze to the girl, who was making chocking noises now and she was no longer clawing at him.

"I'mma gonna let you go now. No funny business!" He dropped her, and she half crumbled to the ground, panting. "Dis is de girl?" he asked through his fangs. Nathan peered down at the shivering girl, who was breathing heavily, her clawed fingers bracing her against the alley floor. Very, very slowly, Nathan crouched down, trying to get a look at her face.

"Please, would you look at me?" he said softly. She started to growl again, he stopped moving, "Please?" Slowly, the girl raised her head, her hair slightly falling away from her face. Her eyes were black, her face pale and gaunt, her lips back in a fanged snarl, but it was her. The girl in the glass cage, the girl lost in whiteness, and covered in blood, the girl from his visions. "Yeah, its her," he looked up Darius, his face locked in certainty.

A moment passed, her breath still rasping. Her eyes darted between the vampire and the boy, fight or flight playing across her starved features. As Nathan started to stand back up, her eyes locked on him and with another snarl, she launched herself at him. Smoothly, Darius grabbed the girl and curled his arm around her neck, his other arm around the back. "Darius..." Nathan look back to the vampire, Darius nodded. He shifted his body against the thrashing girl, his arms shifting into a sleeper hold. Eventually, the girl's struggling stopped as she slipped into unconsciousness.

When her body went limp, Darius let his vampire features fade. "So, now what?" He asked the blond boy, who shrugged. Darius sighed, and hefted the limp girl over his shoulder and started walking toward his Wrangler, Nathan quietly following.

As Darius pulled onto their gravel driveway, Nathan glanced over his shoulder to the back seat. Darius had carefully laid her across the back seat. In the pale light of a nearly full moon, he could see her. She was thin, her body looking limp and lifeless even though he knew she was just unconscious. Her face, though, was what really called his attention. In sleep she looked tired, haunted, and fearful. Her lips were awkward over her still prominent fangs, claws still gracing her fingertips. Darius pulled the Jeep to a stop and followed Nathan's gaze. "So... what do we do with her?" Darius asked, raising an eyebrow, "She'll wake up soon."

Nathan shrugged, "Maybe we could bring her to the basement," he said quietly.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! Here's the next little tid-bit, hope ya'll enjoy. I've really grown attached to these guys and I hope you will too. Just for a heads up, I'm finally leaving for my school year abroad tomorrow! Woo! I have a very, very long flight a head of me in which I'll do my best to wrap up my other story RR&amp;VV as well as post what I have of Cages so far. After that, I don't know what my uploading schedule will be. I have an intensive language class to look forward to (like a bullet to my brain lol, but it hurts so good!) so my time devoted to fanfic may dwindle. Please bare with me! If I become too swamped I'll let you guys know that I'll be on hiatus or something. As always, R&amp;R is greatly apprciated (not that I have self confidence issues coughcough) Thanks! ~LiangLan<strong>


	4. Chapter 3: Taming the Beast

Darius gently lay the girl on an old futon in their basement. He knew she'd probably wake up soon. He could tell by the powerful scent the rolled off of her what she was. Nathan simply stood quietly, watching the girl. "So... what is she?" he asked in his ever quiet voice.

"Werewolf," Darius sighed and absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck, "I've never seen one so..." he struggled for the right words, "whacked," he finally settled on. Something was terribly off about the poor girl, a strong feeling of utter loss and wildness felt almost palatable to the vampire. Nathan only nodded slightly. "We've got tree days of full moon ahead of us too," Darius mumbled, his Haitian accent even more thick when he mumbled.

A moment of silence passed, as it often did between the two. "We can't cage her," Nathan finally. His tone implied a certainty, not a suggestion. Darius raised an eyebrow at his young friend.

"Mon cher, I won't risk anything harming you," his voice strained with emotion most would find unusual for the undead to be capable of. Nathan met Darius's affectionate gaze with one of understanding, but conviction. The vampire sighed, "Alright, maybe I can ask ol' Simone for some 'elp. She might 'ave sometin' to ward the forest so no one can stumble upon our guest," he brought his arm back down and gestured to the still limp form on the futon. He was rewarded by Nathan closing the distance between them and the young blond putting a slender hand on Darius's shoulder. Darius knew what physical contact meant to the boy, it was risky for the Emotive, but he couldn't help smiling and gently covering the slender hand with his own.

They both waited for the girl to regain consciousness, which was not long. Darius had pulled up one of the old chairs and sat down. Nathan stood a few feet behind him. He could feel her begin to come back before she made any sign physically. After a moment's consideration, he internally shrugged and decided to let down the mental barriers that he usually enclosed his mind with. He let her emotions eddy around him, and then gradually wash over him as she came back to them. He did his best to keep his breathing regular under the onslaught.

Anger, confusion, pain, terrible pain, like having every bone broken and healed all wrong, hate like acid through veins, carried like oxygen and wastes through the blood, bone aching loss, grim determination to survive; but most of all, like a dead body on a trash heap, he felt her fear. The fear could easily drawn out everything else.

Dimly, he was aware that her eyes were open again. They were still black, utterly inhuman and savage. A roving glance seem to tell her everything, but she continued to lay still, unsure of what to do. Nathan felt more stirrings of confusion, the ever-present fear, and an animalistic desire to escape. Unsafe. Enemies.

Nathan had never been so overwhelmed with another's emotions before. What he was feeling had the distinct overtones of something animal and something he couldn't quiet place. The closest he could place it was when he was around Darius when he was fully vamped out. Ancient power.

As she began to stir and let out a low warning growl, Nathan did his best to regain control over the emotions flooding him. He took a deep, quiet breath. Once he regained some semblance of control over the tempest of her fear, he slowly took a handful of steps closer to the girl on the futon. Faintly, he felt Darius tense, but he focused all his awareness on projecting a feeling of calm, safety, and security to the growling girl a few feet away.

He knew when the projection reached her. Her eyes went wide and he body seemed to lock into place, but then her eyes dropped slightly and the growling stopped. Her body became a little less tense and her half lipped eyes fixed on his, a small whimpering sound escaped her lips. He was only about a foot away from her, never letting up on his calm, calm, safe, safe. He slowly raised his right hand, her eyes flickered momentarily to his outstretched limb, but returned back to his eyes. She flinched when he gently lay his fingertips on her shoulder, but then all tension left her body. A whine escaped her and her eyes went briefly wider. He felt his heart do an odd flop in his chest, but kept sending calm, calm, safe, safe. He knew that the physical contact would intensify the emotions he was sending.

Sometimes, Darius believed that his boy Nate wanted to drive him mad. There he was slowly walking towards a feral, out of control werewolf, and mon Dieu, he was reaching out to her. If he had a beating heart he was sure it would've stopped. But he didn't, and he knew what his boy was doing. He had learned years ago he had to trust Nathan. And now the girl let out a small whine, and he saw her slouch down limply, then curl up rather wolfishly and soon her breath evened out. She was soon in an uneasy sleep. That was his boy, taming the frightened beast.

They stood in the kitchen silently for a few moments. Darius heard the werewolf's even breathing and concluded she was fine for the time. Now, to the problems to come. Tomorrow was the first of the three days when the Moon would be in all her full glory, and he had a werewolf in his basement. Nathan said she couldn't be chained. And judging by Nathan's visions, Darius knew any outward attempts to cage the girl would not end well for anyone. He was again thankful their homestead was far outside of town, surrounded by thick forest. Maybe they could just let her out and she would ignore them and go frolicking in the woods. He shook his head. He didn't want to risk his boy being hurt. So he settled on his earlier suggestion, he had to call ol' Simone. He sighed.

Nathan was leaning against the kitchen counter and watched him as Darius grabbed the cell on the kitchen table. Simone was probably not going to be happy to be woken up at 4:30 in the morning, but he wanted to have things arranged sooner rather than later. The phone on the other end didn't even finish ringing once when a sharp voice answered: "Yes, Darius?" Great, she was in a mood.

"Allo, Simone. I need you 'elp," and Darius explained their situation. He waited for a moment, and he heard some rustling on the other side.

"I see, that is a predicament," her old voice rang with a hard to place accent, even for the 340-year-old vampire who had seen a lot of the world. "Very well, I shall see what I can do. For now, hang a bundle of lavender, bleeding hearts, and nightshade above you basement door. It will keep the girl asleep until her Change. Will young Nathan be able to come by?" At the last bit, the woman's harsh voice softened a little. Darius couldn't help the small smile, his boy had a way of charming the hard edges off of anyone.

"Oui, I can send him to pick you up. Pas probleme, Madame," he wished the lady a good morning and hung up. "Looks like you are going to spend some quality time with the ol' priestess," Darius teased gently. Nathan winced a little, but then yawned widely. "Go to bed, mon cher. I will take care of de girl for now." Nathan hesitated, but nodded and slowly trudged out of the kitchen towards his room.

When the boy left the room, Darius sighed. He wondered vaguely if this is what a parent feels when a dog follows their kid home, but he merely shook his head. Something about lost, way-ward souls tugged at his undeadheart-strings. He got to his feet to gather the herbs for the sleep charm. It was going to be a long week.

Nathan woke to the gentle sound of rain falling outside his window. He simply lay there for several moments, taking in the peacefulness of the wet Spring morning. His room was small and simply furnished. His bed was mostly a mattress piled high with mismatched blankets and an odd pillow or two, the walls a dark navy color. A desk was angled in the corner, piled with textbooks, a laptop, and a dirty glass or two. The dominate feature of his room, however, as a wall length book shelf holding tons of CDs, cassettes, and even a few dozen old records. There were hundreds of the on the shelves. To say he loved music would be an understatement.

A light click sounded above the rain and the clock radio on his desk began to play soft, classical music. He allowed himself a brief moment to let the gentle sound wash over him, then he groaned as he swung out of his nest of blankets.

He shuffled out into the short hallway outside his room that lead to the kitchen. He rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair, which was sticking out at random angles. He only wore an old pair of boxers. Sometimes it was nice to just live with a guy and not have to worry about being clothed, he though groggily as he opened the fridge and drank milk right from the carton.

When he shut the fridge door again, he noticed the sticky note left by Darius. "The girl's under a sleep charm until her Change, pick up Simone at 10 and bring her back here. She knows what to do. –D" Oh yeah, there's a scared girl-wolf in their basement.

He blinked a few times before things settled into place in his sleepy mind. Huh. Well, might as well have some breakfast.


	5. Chapter 4: Priestess

"Ah, young Nathan, always on time," a short, rotund, tanned woman holding a large bag, smiled knowingly as a beat up white Carolla came to a stop in the drive way in front of an impossibly old looking Victorian house. The woman was standing on the house's wrap around porch, following the young blond boy's accent of the porch stairs.

"Hello, Miz Simone," Nathan said with a small smile, "can I help you with that bag?"

Always so polite too, such a nice young man, Simone's smile grew, "No, that's quiet alright young man. I still have strength in these old bones. Now, lets get on over to that homestead of yours and get to business, eh?" Nathan just nodded, his pale blue eyes serious.

The drive back to his house was uneventful, the old Priestess chattered amiably, not seeming to mind the lack of verbal responses from the boy. She knew he was quiet and she found it rather nice compared to how loud today's youth seemed to be. She knew he was listening.

And he was, it was one of the few things he felt he was good at, listening that is. As he nodded at the appropriate times, his mind drifted slightly. Simone was a strange woman of uncertain age, though he assumed she was old, and of indeterminable ethnicity, though if he were to guess from her accent and skin, he'd say she was from somewhere in the Caribbean or South America. All he knew about her was what Darius had told him, that she was a Priestess of some sect of Voodoo, but he didn't know which. She was powerful. Darius always spoke to her respectfully and with a degree of humility. When Nathan had first met the Priestess and noticed Darius's conduct around her, he realized it was smart to never offend or piss off this strange old lady. Hell, if a 340-year-old vampire tipped his hat to the Priestess, then it'd be smart to follow suit.

The only thing was, though, was that Simone always made him feel a little awkward. She treated Darius ruefully, and treated Nathan like a little nephew or something. He was not sure what to make of it, but he'd decided to just take it in stride. When Darius had first taken him here to Oregon from his native New York City, Simone had been one of the first people he'd spoken to. She knew what he was and had even helped him control his abilities somewhat.

"So, dear, what's this all about a girl-wolf sleeping in that cellar of yours?" Her words sliced through his absentminded thoughts, her tone clearly saying 'I-know-you- were-drifting-there-now-pay-attention. He swallowed his minor embarrassment, and in his typical minimalist fashion, told the Priestess about his visions and the terrified girl.

Once back at his house, Nathan politely offered Simone something to drink, which she accepted as she sat down at the small kitchen table. He fixed the lady a cup of tea and poured himself a glass of juice and they drank for a few minuets in amiable silence. Once they had finished their drinks, Simone rose from her chair, saying, "Right then, young Nathan, time for business. Darius had mentioned that you have no desire to cage or pin the girl up, which I understand. So, if you'll take me to a few key point on Darius's property, I can put up a ward to keep anyone from trespassing and a simple charm to keep her within the woods when in her wolf form," at Nathan's attempt to protest, she raised a hand, "the spell, dear, won't harm her in any way, it'll simply keep her in her natural element." After a moment, Nathan nodded, and followed the Priestess back out of the house.

It took a few hours, but the two had managed to put up the small talismans on trees or rocks at the corners of Darius's property. The vampire and Emotive lived in a decent sized old farm house sitting on about 275 acres of mostly wooded land 13 miles outside of the nearest town in rural Oregon. It was quiet and out of the way.

"Well, now that that's done, only one thing left to do! Show me to the girl," Simone demanded to the boy, who only hesitated for a moment before showing the lady down to the basement. He was relieved, for the girl's sake, that the sleep charm seemed to be still working. She'd looked like she hadn't slept in days. Simone studied the curled up girl intently, hands on her hips. "Humm, well, I suppose," the Priestess mumbled, and began digging in her large bag. She pulled out a bundle of strange, dried herbs and proceeded to close the distance between the girl and herself. Nathan just watched, slightly confused, as the older lady poked the girl until she stirred, lifted herself and blinked groggily at the woman. The werewolf started growling softly and clutching with clawed hangs at the futon, but the Priestess was not in the least impressed, apparently. "None of that now, just plain rude!" the lady muttered and smacked the girl in the face with the herb bundle, much like someone might swat a naughty puppy that just peed on the carpet, Nathan thought as is eyebrows went up. The girl froze, her eyes crossing momentarily and finally she sneezed. Her arms trembled and she collapsed back into sleep once again. Simone nodded, and started heading for the stairs again. Nathan could only follow.

* * *

><p>Darius leaned slightly against the counter in the kitchen, sipping a mug of blood. The sun hadn't fully set yet, and it was early for him to be up, so he was still relatively groggy. He wore only an old pair of jeans, his bare chest and torso revealing lithe and lean muscles. One hand braced against the counter, the other tipping the mug to his lips. His facial features are rounded and smooth, but still handsomely distinguish. His hair is done in thin, neat dreads, help back loosely by a large rubber-band. He looks no older than 25, but his dark eyes say otherwise.<p>

He enjoys the last of his blood and absorbs the quiet around him. He knows that this is just the quiet before the storm. Soon the moon would rise, and he still had to figure out how to coax the girl out of the basement and make sure the little feral girl didn't hurt Nathan.

Nathan shuffled quietly into the kitchen from the direction of his room. He was wearing a little more clothing; a dark blue wife-beater and baggy cargo pants. His longish blond hair was sticking out in odd directions due to his late afternoon nap. Darius couldn't help a small twitch of a smile, his boy was so cute like this, all ruffled from bed. "Evenin', mon cher," Darius let the smile spread. Nathan's ice-blue eyes met his briefly and the shorter boy grumbled something in answer to the sentiment as he fixed himself a bowl of cereal. Oh yes, quite adorable.

After rinsing the mug in the sink, Darius did a fully body cat-like stretch. The sun had finally set, he realized. "Well, lets get dis over with," he glanced over to Nathan who nodded. He strode over to the basement door, and Nathan followed.

* * *

><p>Nathan had never seen a werewolf Change before. And he had to be honest, it was not what he had expected. He watched in awe from inside the house (Darius had insisted) as the girl stood on the small back porch of the house stood completely still for what seemed like forever, expectation hanging in the air. Darius was leaning on the door fame on the outside of porch's door, mostly hidden in shadow. He might look relaxed, but Nathan knew he was ready for anything.<p>

It was like someone throwing a switch. The silent spring night was broken by a snarl of pain, followed by an endless series of growls as the girl doubled over, convulsing. He heard bones cracking, claws gauging at the wooden porch, saw limbs change and after when felt like a long time but was really surprisingly brief, a large dark wolf was raising to its four paws.

From his post at the doorframe, Darius watched the Change. He had seen a few werewolf transformations in his long centuries, but this was… different. His vampirc senses were picking up pain, fear, hate, and something harder to place into words. He felt that the Change shouldn't have hurt the girl this much that at one point in time it hadn't. What had happened to this girl?

Then the Change was finished, and the wolf was getting to its feet. She turned slowly and looked over her shoulder directly at him. She started growling.

The large black wolf turned slowly and growled at Darius. He let out his own warning growl. Demons and others of similar persuasions had a whole system of somewhat universal communications; including numerous growls. In essence; the girl-wolf was showing her acknowledgment of another hunter, Darius responding with a warning. Don't harm me or my own, otherwise I don't care. After a long moment of steady gazes, the wolf shook her head in something like a wolf's shrug. Darius lifted his chin slightly in return.

The wolf-girl turned her head upwards to face the Full Moon as she lazily climbing the sky. The wolf lifted her head and let out a long howl that sent shivers down Darius's spine and made Nathan's heart do that odd flip-flop thing again. With the howl still lingering in the spring night, the girl-wolf leapt off the porch and ran off into the night, towards the dark woods.


	6. Chapter 5: Forest Spirit

She didn't come back in the morning. She didn't come the next either, and for some curious reason, Nathan was worried. Darius had told him that the Change only lasted through the night and a werewolf changed back at dawn, so why had she not come back to the house.

This line of thought worried at his mind during his classes. When Darius had taken him out here from Seattle, the vampire had insisted on the boy attending high school. Nathan didn't resist too much, even though being surrounded by emotionally unstable teens could at times give him a headache, it wasn't too bad. He just kept his distance most of the time.

So instead of paying careful attention to trig, he was thinking about the lack of werewolf back at the house. Had she run off? Was she hurt? Would she come back? His mind didn't really contemplate that she had hurt or killed anyone, because he really didn't care. That thought only worried him if it involved her getting hurt. Which was in itself curious to him. Why did he even care?

For the most part, life after meeting Darius had become pretty simple. Besides the vampire and a handful of others, the rest if the world could fuck itself. This baseline mentality had been ingrained into him by living on the streets of New York since he was just a kid. He remembered vaguely a heavy-handed aunt, whose face was now gone to him, but the streets were still stark in his memory. The streets of underground (literal and metaphorical) New York had taught him that nothing but your own survival really matters when you got right down to it. His own survival was thoroughly linked to Darius now.

So, why did he care if the girl came back or not? Nathan considered himself decent at detaching himself from people and situations for careful introspection. So, he gave that a whirl. He'd had two visions about her. That had never happened before. His visions were like nightmares that attacked him during sleep, and the fact that the second vision he occurred while he was awake was definitely worth noting. Maybe he had some sort of obligation to help the girl? He remembered the emotions that had swamped him during the visions, something terrible had clearly happened to her and it was obvious she wasn't in top game. Her fear was so strong, it reminded him of... himself, he realized with a slight jerk. When Darius had found him in that alley, his own fear he remembered. Nathan also remembered Darius saying something about 'lost souls' once or twice and smiled. Yeah, we wayward souls need to stick together.

Nathan shrugged and tapped his pencil absentmindedly against his open but ignored textbook. Yeah, seemed like a good enough reason to care.

* * *

><p>The next day was a Saturday. Nathan woke with a start and glanced confusingly over at the clock, it was only 7:39. He grumbled and tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but found that impossible. He groggily got to his feet and shuffled out into the kitchen.<p>

When he glanced out of the kitchen window that over looked the back porch, he jumped a little. He walked over to the back door and slowly opened it. The girl was standing there, looking confused, like she didn't know why she was there. He vaguely noticed she was naked; her body was covered in dirt and mud, her face smeared with blood. Her tangled black hair seemed to glisten slightly with dew. Her eyes were still black, but she no longer sported claws or fangs. She looked like some sort of wild forest spirit, he mused.

After a moment of starring, Nathan tilted his head back toward the house. "Want a shower?" he asked. She didn't say anything, but he didn't really expect her to. He slowly walked back into the house, and she hesitantly followed. She followed him to the bathroom, where he opened the door and he motioned her into the little room. Nathan pulled back the old curtain and turned on the water and waited for it to warm up some. When pulled up to start the shower, the wave of fear almost knocked him over. He looked over his shoulder to see the girl cowering and trembling. In his confusion, he shut off the shower. The tide of fear eased slightly, but she was still pressed against the far wall. He took a few deeps breaths to control the emotions. What had brought that on? He sighed.

"Ok, how about a bath instead?" he turned and put the stopper in the drain and began to fill the tub with warm water. By the time the tub was full, her fear had retreated to its dull baseline just below her consciousness, and she was no longer cowering. She did look slightly confused still though. He motioned for her to get in.

After she had settled into the water, make what he supposed was a pleased noise at the warmth, he turned to leave, but she suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist. He didn't flinch, but stared at her and tilted his head. "Want me to stay?" She momentarily tightened her hold, "alright".

It takes a few awkward moments before Nathan realizes she didn't seem to know what to do bath-wise. She just sank down and soaked, and while that did wash away some of the dirt, but her hair wasn't getting any better and the blood wasn't washing away. So he stripped down to his wife-beater and boxers (no used getting his clothes wet) and when she didn't growl, he reached over and grabbed the shampoo.

It took three changes of water to get her clean. He thought vaguely that it should be weird, washing this naked girl, but for some reason it didn't. When he had her stand up to suds her down, he noticed that her body was littered with pale ghosts of scars, and that made his stomach tighten. She met his gaze briefly, and he saw something besides a wolf looking out at him, it was something-someone, maybe the girl? The look was of pure weariness in it, but then he swore he saw a flicker of a twitch that suggested a smile. He motioned for her to sit again to rinse off.


End file.
